Martinez moves on after title bout loss

By John Whislerjwhisler@express-news.net

Published 11:54 pm, Sunday, October 9, 2011

Photo: EDWARD A. ORNELAS, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez holds his right eye during the fifth round of his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. The fight was stopped after the sixth round. Guerrero won by a technical decision. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez holds his right eye during the fifth round of his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday

FOR SPORTS - Cutman Joe Villanueva (left) works on Raul Martinez after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. The fight was stopped after the sixth round. Guerrero won by a technical decision. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Cutman Joe Villanueva (left) works on Raul Martinez after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct.

FOR SPORTS - Cutman Joe Villanueva works on Raul Martinez after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. The fight was stopped after the sixth round. Guerrero won by a technical decision. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Cutman Joe Villanueva works on Raul Martinez after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8,

FOR SPORTS - Conditioning coach Tony Cooper (left) and Raul Martinez wait for the decision after the IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. The fight was stopped after the sixth round. Guerrero won by a technical decision. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Conditioning coach Tony Cooper (left) and Raul Martinez wait for the decision after the IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja

FOR SPORTS - Rodrigo Guerrero (top center) celebrates after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Raul Martinez (left) held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. The fight was stopped after the sixth round. Guerrero won by a technical decision. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez throws a left at Rodrigo Guerrero during first round action of their IBF super flyweight title fight held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez throws a left at Rodrigo Guerrero during first round action of their IBF super flyweight title fight held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct.

FOR SPORTS - Rodrigo Guerrero celebrates after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Raul Martinez held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. Guerrero won by a technical decision after the fight was stopped after the sixth round. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Rodrigo Guerrero celebrates after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Raul Martinez held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. Guerrero won by a

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez has his hands wrapped by trainer Jesus Chavez before his IBF super flyweight title fight against Rodrigo Guerrero at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (center) talks with trainer Jesus Chavez (left) and cutman Joe Villanueva after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. Guerrero won by a technical decision after the fight was stopped after the sixth round. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (center) talks with trainer Jesus Chavez (left) and cutman Joe Villanueva after his IBF super flyweight title fight with Rodrigo Guerrero held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana,

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (left) hits Rodrigo Guerrero with a left during the sixth round of their IBF super flyweight title fight held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. Guerrero won by a technical decision after the fight was stopped after the sixth round. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (left) hits Rodrigo Guerrero with a left during the sixth round of their IBF super flyweight title fight held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (left) falls after being hit by Rodrigo Guerrero during third round action of their IBF super flyweight title fight as Ref Pat Russell looks on at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana,

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (left) and Rodrigo Guerrero exchange punches during first round action of their IBF super flyweight title fight held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

FOR SPORTS - Rodrigo Guerrero (left) and Raul Martinez exchange punches during first round action of their IBF super flyweight title fight held at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez has his hands wrapped by trainer Jesus Chavez before his IBF super flyweight title fight against Rodrigo Guerrero at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

FOR SPORTS - Team Martinez cutman Joe Villanueva (center) watches as Rodrigo Guerrero has his hands wrapped before the IBF super flyweight title fight against Raul Martinez at the Auditorio Municipal in

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (center) relaxes while members of his team prepare for the IBF super flyweight title fight against Rodrigo Guerrero at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Saturday Oct. 8, 2011. (PHOTO BY EDWARD A. ORNELAS/eaornelas@express-news.net)

FOR SPORTS - Raul Martinez (center) relaxes while members of his team prepare for the IBF super flyweight title fight against Rodrigo Guerrero at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

TIJUANA, Mexico — The knockdown punch. The clash of heads. The stunning and unexpected ending. Raul Martinez never saw a single one of them coming Saturday night.

“It's boxing, so you never know what's going to happen,” he said. “But it's over. There's nothing I can do about it now.”

The local fighter says he's ready to move on and continue his career.

But it will be awhile before that happens.

Martinez needed seven stitches to close an ugly gash on his right eyebrow suffered during his technical unanimous-decision loss to Rodrigo Guerrero on Saturday at the Auditorio Municipal.

The fight, for the vacant IBF super flyweight title, was scheduled for 12 rounds but lasted only six.

Martinez (28-2, 16 KOs) was dropped and appeared hurt late in the third by a straight left to the nose but otherwise was giving as much as he was taking. He rallied to win the fifth round on all three scorecards.

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The two fighters banged heads frequently during the bout as Guerrero (16-3-1, 10 KOs), a southpaw, often changed to a conventional stance and back again — in the same round.

The final switch came in the sixth, with their heads colliding at the 1:07 mark. Martinez winced and swiped at the blood with his gloved hand but finished the round.

“When he got back to the corner, he said his eye was throbbing,” said his cutman, Joe Villanueva. “He had a couple of other small cuts that I was able to take care of. I couldn't do anything with this one.”

Referee Pat Russell looked at the eye and called the ringside physician to examine it. Dr. Jose Luis Hernandez held up three fingers and asked Martinez to count them, using only his right eye.

“I can't see,” Martinez responded, explaining to the doctor that his eye was too cloudy because of the blood.

Hernandez reacted immediately, calling a halt to the bout.

“A fighter can't fight with one eye,” he said.

As Martinez protested, Guerrero jumped onto the shoulders of a cornerman, thinking he had a TKO.

But Russell ruled that the cut on Martinez's eyebrow was caused by an accidental head butt and not a punch. That meant the fate of both fighters was left in the hands of the judges.

Two of the three, Marty Denkin and Chris Wilson, saw it 57-56 for Guerrero. Tom Miller's score was a head-scratcher — 59-54.

The Express-News had it 57-56 for Guerrero.

If not for the knockdown, the fight easily could have ended in a majority draw.

Martinez is convinced he won despite the knockdown, just as he believes he beat Guerrero in their first match a year ago in Oklahoma.

Then, he won a close, split decision. Guerrero complained he was robbed.